Victoria, now Alberta in Canada pulls out of the Commonwealth Games, creating big questions for organisers in London.

Alberta, the Canadian province, has withdrawn its bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games citing escalating costs. The joint bid, centered around the cities of Edmonton and Calgary, as well as the Tsuut’ina Nation and Enoch Cree Nation, was estimated to cost C$2.7bn (£1.5bn; $2bn), a burden deemed too heavy for the province to bear.

Tourism and Sport Minister Joseph Schow expressed concerns about the funding model, which heavily relied on corporate sponsorships and limited broadcast revenues, ultimately placing 93% of the financial burden on taxpayers. The government aimed to be transparent about funding and ensure a satisfactory return on investment, leading them to decide against continuing with the bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

This decision effectively terminates the bid, as the city of Calgary’s participation was dependent on the province’s support. The Commonwealth Games are a multi-sport event held every four years, with participation limited to the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth, most of which were formerly part of the British Empire.

Notably, earlier this year, Hamilton, Ontario, had suspended its bid to host the 2030 Games due to a lack of government commitments. Additionally, Australia had pulled out of hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria due to budget overruns, leading to disappointment from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

Despite these setbacks, Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf expressed a willingness to consider proposals for Scotland to host at least part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan offered support for a bid to host the event in the capital. However, any final decision on hosting the games would need to be made by the respective governments.